


The Deal

by DeuBun



Category: One Piece
Genre: Cute, Dancing, F/M, Falling In Love, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Portgas D. Ace-centric, Romance, Shirohige Kaizoku-dan | Whitebeard Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:21:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27769714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeuBun/pseuds/DeuBun
Summary: After being taken as the newest Whitebeard Pirates member you meet an unlikely friend (gender neutral pronouns)
Relationships: Portgas D. Ace/Reader
Kudos: 32





	The Deal

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a contest while back and felt like sharing ^.^

The Whitebeard pirates were an enigma to say the least. The way they chattered away jovially to one another as though there wasn't a thing that could touch them, and they had a right to. With who their captain was it only made sense. 

Whitebeard. The strongest man in the world, emperor of the seas, and someone with a tendency to kidnap people to add to his little “family”. This was no exception. 

You weren't sure how things got to this. Stuck huddled in the nearest corner with eyes trained on an overly happy crew, waiting for their act to end. You knew it was dumb for your captain to challenge the much more experienced pirate, but why did you have to be taken as the new “adopted child” while the others were sent away!? 

“Wow!” Your head snapped up in shock when you heard the amused voice, a ring of laughter pulling you to the railing above you. “Cant believe youre still moping. It's been what, a week?” Your eyes widened when you realized who was speaking to you. There were the unmistakable freckles dusting his face, and the bright orange cowboy hat that could be seen in every wanted poster. The same wanted posters that were dedicated to Whitebeard's second division commander, Fire Fist Ace. 

“Oi? You ok?” You were forced out of your anxious thoughts when a hand was waved in front of your face, causing you to pull into yourself even more. The man did not seem to notice this as he decided to take the moment so he could scurry into the tiny empty spot next to you, completely unbothered by the tight squeeze. Weirdly enough he seemed thrilled by it! Munching away at a large drumstick in his hands, dark eyes staring right into you as he peacefully ate. And it made you boil with anger. 

“What the hell are you staring at!?” You growled, giving the man a pointed glare as you readied yourself for a fight. There was no way you could stand up against Fire Fist Ace, but you had to try! The man though didn't even seem to register your aggressive language, and instead slightly cocked his head to the side like a curious child. 

“Answer my question first.” silence fell between the two, the only noise that could be heard being the distant sound of rowdy pirates. 

“What?” You were forced back into the corner when he leaned into you, eyes looking over you in a scrutinizing manner. You were about to punch him, fight for your life, but instead of attacking you he continued to eat. Finishing up his meat quickly before going to lick his fingers clean.

“I asked if you were ok. You've been distant, and seemed kind of out of it this past week so I came to see what's bugging you. It may not look like it, but everyone is pretty worried about you. Though that's how we are with any new sibling.” He let out a carefree laugh. Happily waving towards a few men that were just walking back from who knows where. 

This had only made you even angrier. How dare he just assume he could walk up to you and pretend you were buddy buddy! You weren't some guest over for a tea party, you were a hostage! A life given in exchange for your captains. Far from some type of new family member. With a fire ignited within you once again you bolted upright, and glared down at the laid back man who had decided to give you company. 

“Let's get one thing straight. I am not, and will never be, one of your siblings!” Your outburst came out louder than intended, and had gained the attention of everyone on deck. Silence falling over the once bustling area as eyes drilled into the two of you. Then there was laughter. Loud, and boisterous laughter then began to fill the air with no signs of stopping. This only caused your face to flush a bright red. Were they laughing at you?

“It's true! My crew will come back for me, and then you’ll see!” The laughter only increased at this, and you even saw a few crew members mock your words as they giggled like a group of school children. 

“Face it, they aren't coming back.” Your heart dropped, but you refused to let it show on your face. Turning slowly so you could glare at the man. He was still sitting in the same spot as before, leaning back so he could comfortably lounge against the wall. Completely unconcerned with the emotions running through you right now. “If they were coming back they would have by now, and why risk so much for one crew member. I don't blame you for wanting to wait for them, but you have to be realistic.” 

It stung to hear those words, but you knew he was right. They had just escaped the clutches of Whitebeard, no way would they return. Yet there was still the small fire of hope. One tiny flame that refused to be stamped out. You would get out of here, you knew you would! 

Soon you were stomping off, ignoring the rowdy pirates that were now pretending nothing had happened before. Your body refused to relax until the strangers were out of sight, and you hated how it made you so uncomfortable. You gripped onto the nearby railing, placing all of your weight on it as you stared down at the deep blue sea. If you just jumped over you could swim away, get away before anyone noticed. 

“I wouldn't try that if I were you.” You jumped when you heard the familiar voice, turning to see Ace once again staring you down. “If you try to run, pops will just do what he can to find you. He’s like that with his children. Even stubborn ones like you.” You would ignore the stubborn comment for now. 

“Doesn't matter. I’ll just keep running until I get away!” He only sighed, running a freckled hand through his hair as he continued to speak. 

“You think you can get away with anything don't you? The type of person who can take on the world without even gaining a scratch.” He ended up laughing after that second statement. Moving closer to join you as though you were two close friends, and weirdly enough you made no move to leave. 

“So? What's it to you?” despite your harsh comment he continued to smile, and use one of his hands to roughly pat your back. The action almost sends you flying over the railing. 

“You just remind me of someone, that's all.” You had no idea what he meant by that, but had to admit you were curious. 

“Did that person want to leave here too?” You shifted your eyes to look next to you, watching as the man just slowly nodded. A far away look on his face as he stared off into the horizon. “Did they succeed?” You were caught off guard when he laughed. It was a nice sound honestly, and you almost got lost in it before he quickly shushed himself. 

“Nope! Far from it actually! Just don't want you to make the same mistakes they did.” For some reason you highly doubted that was the only thing he wanted to say. Something in his tone just told you that.

“Well I won't fail then.” Whether he was unamused, or annoyed by your unwavering stubbornness you weren't sure. Though his expression said more than anything he could place into words. 

“Hey, how about we make a deal?” Now that had your attention, eyes trained onto the freckled face as you tried to pinpoint any sign of deception. Strangely though, you saw nothing of the sort. Some slight mischief in those deep brown pools, but nothing that could be counted as malicious. “You be nice to everyone for a week, and if you can do that I'll help you escape.” He spoke so matter of factly that it caught you off guard. 

“W-Wait!? What's the catch? Why help me when your captain is keeping me here?” It made no sense, no way would your ticket out of here be so easy. You took a cautious step back, waiting for the man to reveal whatever mysterious fate he had planned for you. Yet, he just laughed. Resting a freckled cheek in the palm of his head as a smirk crossed his features. 

“No catch. You have everyone on edge. So i'm just trying to remedy the situation before it gets worse.” He shrugged. Watching with calm eyes as shock spread across your features. “Hey, if you truly don't like it here after a week then I can probably talk to pops about letting you leave.” He spoke in a sing-song voice, eyes watching your every move as he did so. 

There was no way this isn't some type of trick. The way he acted, and spoke pretty much gave him away. Yet this was your only way to escape. A part of you wondered if he knew the internal dilemma you were currently going through. 

“So? Do we have a deal?” He stuck a hand out to you, and surprisingly he waited patiently as you stared at it like it was the plague itself. Your own hand hovering at your side as you pondered the pros and cons. 

I mean you could easily survive a week, right? It wasn't like anything was going to change. With new found confidence you grasped his hand, giving it a firm shake. Eyes staring into his own as you did so. “Deal!” 

He seemed very pleased by this. His smirk turned into a wide smile. Radiating with a warmth, and kindness that you never expected from a Whitebeard pirate. Holding onto your hand with a gentleness that was unexpected before he began to tug you forward.

“Come on. I’ll introduce you to some of the other commanders.” Little did you know this kind act was the beginning of the most wild week of your life. 

Things from there on out were strange to say the least. Nobody had seemed to think twice about your sudden change of mood, and instead welcomed you with open arms. Even Marco, the first division, had reacted with a smile as he welcomed you to the family. Even going as far as placing a welcome gift by your door the next day. You would never say it to his face, but the stack of books had brought you a lot of joy. 

The fourth division commander, Thatch, seemed to have had a totally different reaction. The man had looked from you, to Ace, and then back to you before something mischievous had begun to shine in his eyes. Smiling wide before he began to jokingly poke at the younger male in front of him. “So you found yourself a little friend your own age? Never did I think my younger brother would find himself a cute partner to be with.” 

It had taken a solid three seconds before all hell broke loose, and you had decided that Thatch was the bane of your existence. The man never gave up on his quest to pair you together with the second division commander. And much to his disappointment it went nowhere other than flushed faces of embarrassment. 

Thankfully none of Thatch’s annoying attempts at matchmaking didn't stop you and Ace from being friends. The two of you became extremely close during the week, and honestly it felt like you had been friends longer. The way you seemed to understand each other like second nature, and how conversation always flowed so organically was something you never experienced before. 

Pirates weren't supposed to have friends. Right? So why then did every party, meal time, and nights spent telling stories all feel so right? You hated it! You hated how attached you were starting to become. Especially towards a certain fire devil fruit user. 

You had started off following him around like a baby duck. Not trusting anyone else to not murder you the moment they caught sight of your form. It was pathetic, sure, but you didn't want to take any chances. Ace though refused to let you just hide away by your lonesome. Instead he got you to join in on endless games of Poker (where you cleaned the group out of their money), and rowdy battles that only made you trust the man more. Sure enough the two of you had become inseparable, and slowly you couldn't imagine your life without him. 

It was your seventh day on the Moby Dick, and today was another wild dinner. It had started off normal, but the moment a few crew members took out their instruments and began to play peace and quiet was thrown out the window. Pirates were dancing, singing, and drinking up a storm as the pace of the music guided their every move. You, and Ace were no exception. 

The two of you were joyfully buzzed as you spun, and twirled to the music. Having the time of your lives in the middle of a chaotic dance circle as your friends cheered you on. Hands clapping, and hips swaying to the beat as you sang along. Smiling wide when your eyes caught Ace’s. His face lighting up the moment he had noticed, and soon he was taking your hand into his. Intertwining the two of you as you happily spun each other around, laughter filling the air as you did so. 

The moment you stopped though you found yourself pulled close to his chest, feeling his warmth as you tried to figure out if this was really happening. Your cheeks must have been bright red at this point as you stared up at the man. Watching as he smiled wider, and then tenderly tuck a piece of hair behind your ear so you could be pulled back into your chaotic waltz. Your feet stomping heavily on the floor, and singing filling the room before the night began to finally settle down. The two of you soon found yourself back at the same railing that started it all. 

It wasn't anything entirely special. Just staring out at the sea as Ace continued to hold onto you with gentle hands. Though you soon would break the silence. “Hey, did you know?” When you saw his confused expression you continued to speak. “That there was no way in hell I could leave after just a week.” 

He seemed surprised for a split second, but quickly broke into a smirk. Using the moment to lay his head on your shoulder, and take in the cooling breeze that was in the air. 

“What would you do if I said yes?” You could only snort. Geez that was the most Ace answer anyone could give. 

“I'm not sure, but I can't say that I hate this outcome.” At this point you were not sure if the reason you were telling the truth was because of the alcohol, or because at this point you didn't want to hold it in anymore. Whatever the reason all you knew was that it made you happy to get it off your chest. Ace on the other hand seemed bewildered. Wide eyes, and flushed features staring down at you until he could smile softly. 

“You're making me feel incredibly selfish.” What? You gave him a confused glance. The man just hummed to himself before he pulled you closer to him. “Because all I had ever wanted this past week was for you to stay with us, with me.” His flushed features then turned a bright crimson, and his eyes averted to avoid yours. 

This didn't work for you though. You didn't want him to just confess such a thing, and then go right back into being his dorky self. So you took action into your own hands. Taking his freckled cheeks into your hands, and slowly guided his lips towards yours. The two of you sharing a deep and passionate kiss. Fueled simultaneously by a mix of alcohol, and pure unfiltered love. 

When you finally pulled apart the man broke out into a round of laughter, tiny flames flickering in his eyes when he realized what was happening. Finding a moment to lift you up under the armpits and spin you around in joy as the stars twinkled above. It seemed like they were cheering you on, sparkling with happy new love. 

“You really do think you can get away with anything, don't you?” You could only smirk, and shrug. Wrapping your arms around his neck, unbothered by how unnaturally warm his body was, before you could affectionately nuzzle into him. Now that the door was open it could never be closed, and you couldn't imagine not being wrapped tight in his arms. 

“Is that a bad thing?” You could see his face from where you were cuddled up to his chest, but could feel how his hand ran through your hair. 

“No, it's not. I’m just thankful that someone would love me so unconditionally, especially if it's you.” He lightly kissed the crown of your head, pulling you even closer as he snuggled into your hair. “Thank you.” 

“No, thank you.” You pulled away, staring up at him with a smile. “Thank you for helping me open up to everyone, and showing me how happy I would be here.”


End file.
